To: UC Families From: UC Families Subject: UC Families Newsletter May 31, 2006 May 31, 2006 UC Families Newsletter Circulation: 794 Moderator: Karie Frasch email: ucfam@lists.berkeley.edu Website: http://parents.berkeley.edu/ucfamilies Post a Message: http://parents.berkeley.edu/post_ucfam.html Moderator Note: This is the last newsletter before the summer break. UC Families newsletters will resume in mid-August. Postings received between now and then will be included in August. Thank you. ---------------------------------------------- Contents ---------------------------------------------- *Responses *New postings Pregnancy Support Group Pre-pregnancy safety check of labs for hazards *News/media An Incomplete Picture What Worked for Me *New members Since 5/10/06 ---------------------------------------------- *Responses ---------------------------------------------- You can post additional responses at: http://parents.berkeley.edu/post_ucfam.html ---------------------------------------------- *New postings ---------------------------------------------- You can post a response message: http://parents.berkeley.edu/post_ucfam.html Pregnancy Support Group ------------------------------------------- Are you pregnant and wanting to meet other pregnant women to compare notes, exchange ideas and make new connections? Are you experiencing unsettling mood swings, joyful anticipation and excitement, excessive physical discomfort, anxiety about childbirth and parenting, feelings of hopelessness and despair, worries about the viability of your pregnancy? While pregnancy is generally thought of as a time of joyful anticipation, women actually experience a wide range of emotions during pregnancy. Pregnancy blues, and episodes of anxiety or depression are common during pregnancy. Most women who have these experiences, however, feel isolated and ashamed. Come join others in a supportive group designed to celebrate the joys and address the emotional challenges of pregnancy. Learn how to cope better, build a support network, and deal effectively with the complex sometimes unwelcome, feelings pregnancy can evoke. Weekly topics will include: changing identity, shifting relationships with your partner, thinking about the kind of parent you want to be. This group will be led by Gina Hassan, Ph.D., licensed psychologist and mother, who has been specializing in women's health issues for over 19 years (510) 644-1097. pre-pregnancy safety check of labs for hazards ------------------------------------------- During the time that I was trying to conceive, I contacted UCSF's Biosafety Officer to request an environmental health and safety check on chemical and biohazard activities in the laboratory in which I am a postdoc. The officer's response was great, and she came and toured our lab and noted points where we were out of compliance or where we could improve. She also identified areas where I should not be at all (eg photographic darkroom) if there was a chance I was pregnant. Since it took a certain time lag for our lab members to clean up their act safety-wise, I think it was a good idea to initiate this process during the pre-conception time, especially because the first trimester is the most sensitive time for causing birth defects and/or miscarriage due to xenobiotic exposure. I was impressed with UCSF's response. The officer also alerted me to additional resources from the State of California about workplace chemical hazards to reproductive health. The university's Biosafety Officer, along with your local Departmental Safety Advisor (DSA) is good resource for any UC women working in labs and planning for a pregnancy. Rebecca, UCSF postdoc ------------------------------------------ *Articles and media ------------------------------------------ You can post comments or discussion points about any of these, or offer new ones - http://parents.berkeley.edu/post_ucfam.html An Incomplete Picture, By Chris Smith, Friday, May 26, 2006 Chronicle of Higher Education, http://chronicle.com/temp/email2.php?id=H9fjxdJkyw5hcnrNd8vDF9bnrrzT4cWC What Worked for Me, By Tom Mason, Thursday, May 25, 2006 Chronicle of Higher Education http://chronicle.com/jobs/news/2006/05/2006052501c/careers.html ----------------------------------------- * New members since May 10, 2006 ----------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------- - Post a message * http://parents.berkeley.edu/post.html - Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Address Changes, Help * http://parents.berkeley.edu/subscribers.html